To Erfoud, Monday, 11/1/21

Erfoud?  I knew I'd seen that word on our itinerary, but couldn't fathom where it might be, other than in Morocco.  When our Group Leader, Nabil, told us first thing after getting on the bus this morning that today would be our longest bus ride of the entire trip, an all-day "event," a collective groan erupted.  Erfoud?  He went on to say that we'd be making several stops along the way AND we'd see the largest oasis in Morocco:  Tafilalt -- situated along the banks of Ziz River.  We'd stop there!  OK, then, let's begin heading south, see whatever else might be along the way.

Ifran in the Middle Atlas Mountains was our first (potty) stop.   Known for its alpine-style architecture and nearby ski slopes and forests, it's much different than anything we've seen thus far in Morocco.  Ifran is a mile-high city, and it was noticeably cooler.  A land of apples and peaches.  In winter, this region can get up to three feet of snow.

Busy on these flowers as a ...

And a quick pic of some of us:

L-R, Jan, Barbara, Jimmy, Nabil, Bernice and Ibby.

The scenery?  Varied.  Rocky.  Brown.  Hilly.  Orchards.  Mesmerizing.

Sheep and sheep.  More sheep.  Think about it, though.  Morocco needs five-and-a-half million sheep come the end of Ramadan fasting in May -- that'll be BBQ day!

And then, of a sudden, the bus slowed and we saw monkeys out our windows!  Everyone exited to check out the monkeys, which were actually macaques, like what's in Gibraltar.  Nabil, above, has a bag of unshelled peanuts (which these guys have come to expect).

This is Ifrane National Park, with its Atlas cedar forests, and home to rare Barbary macaques.  They were cute, as monkeys are, especially the babies, but we were advised that they could bite, so no one gave 'em a chance.  Enlarge this pic if you can.  Use your back arrow to return to this post.

Jimmy and friends!

Lemme look!

The bus rolled on, through a drying landscape.  We began seeing nomad huts -- temporary structures for Berber people to "camp."  They move on when there's no more food/fodder for their herds.  Truth be told, I couldn't see much of anything for sheep or donkeys to eat! 

Nomad encampment near the highway.

Lunch was at Midelt, and that's always a nice break.

Back on the road, we were stopped.  All traffic was stopped.  We didn't know why.  Not a vaccination check, nor vehicle registration.  We learned -- large military equipment was coming down from the mountain on the other side and it would need every inch of the two-lane road.  Everybody out!  I didn't mind, it felt good to stretch my legs and do a short hike up a hill.

That lasted a half hour or so and then we continued on.

More Nomad sites.

Soon we saw a bit of green, a channel, off and on, a trickle of water.  The Ziz River, whose source is in Morocco's High Atlas Mountains.

And a high, dry ridge.

Hassan Eddkhil dam on the Ziz River, with hydroelectric generating capacity near Er Rachidia, but not much water behind it.

Oasis!  Tafilalt!  A UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.  Palm groves stretching 30 miles.  As a girl, I'd see a picture of an oasis and it was always small and round, with a large "puddle of water" and a few swaying palm trees, surrounded by sand.  Not this one!  Famous for its fortified villages and luscious dates, Tafilalt was an important stopping point on the Saharan caravan route from the Niger River to Tangiers ... and it's known as The Gateway to the Sahara!

Looking down on the oasis.  The ridge glows rosy in the waning afternoon sunlight.  Would-be vendors have merchandise set up along the wall (or fence), knowing full well the bus people will come close to take their pictures.

Stretching for 30 miles!

We made it finally to Erfoud, and our hotel -- Chergui Kasbah Hotel.  Our long day was finished.

After dinner at the hotel, we were treated to an outdoor musical performance.  These guys were good and it was fun listening to them on this warm autumn evening.  The temp will drop by dawn and it'll be jacket weather.

Some of us were persuaded to get up and "get down!"  Great fun.  Afterward and tired, Jimmy and I were happy to hop into our bed.  It's not that we did much or expended a whole lot of energy, but traveling can be wearing.  Tomorrow will be a new and different day altogether, an exciting day after our day of travel.

QUITO! Tues/Wed, May 1-2, 2018

On Tuesday, our group of nine had an early morning wake-up call (yawn), followed by an early breakfast, though no less delicious for the untimely (or obscene!) hour.  Our bags were packed and down by the dock; today we have to leave this exotic location in the rainforest.  The sunrise, reflected on the lake, below, was very pretty.  We've had a wonderful few days exploring the flora and fauna in the jungle ... all those monkeys and birds, etc.  More than we ever expected.

Our bags are packed, we're ready to go ....

We have to say adios to the sweet little cabin in the middle of the photo.

We piled into the canoe for the four-mile downstream paddle to the Rio Napo.  Jimmy and I have been told at each area on our trip that we're full of good karma ... witness the rainbow as we crossed the lake.  I feel like it's true, the good karma bit, every step of the way.  We heard, but didn't see, one more monkey species near the landing dock ... we saw almost all the species this part of the rainforest had to offer!  Napo and Yasuni National Park have truly been most wonderful places to visit.

Down the black water creek -- the paddlers really pulled on those oars, trying to get us to the landing dock at Rio Napo by 8am.  They did it, too, in a tad over an hour.  Covered in plastic in case of rain, our baggage had already been stowed in a motorized canoe and sent on its way to the Coca airport.  After a pit stop at the landing, our group boarded a long, motorized canoe (below) for the two-hour journey up the Napo.  We were given a snack bag, ate some, saved some for later.

Always things to see as we travel Out and About.

We waited to see the bridge over the Napo at Coca, which meant we were due to dock there soon.  From there, we boarded a bus to the tiny airport and our 30-40 minute Tame flight to Quito.  Everything was marching along as it was supposed to.

Afternoon view from our Quito apartment.

On our own and still on cue, we got a taxi for the drive to the apartment (AirBnB) that we rented for a week in the Bella Vista sector of Quito.  Before leaving the states, we checked out quite a few rental places online, and chose this one for its really reasonable price and its centralized location.  A security guard was stationed at the entrance, which made us feel safe, even though the neighborhood looked good.  So, we settled in, and then went out to find a food store (we found several family-run tiny ones) and bought enough to tide us over.

As we scouted around, we spotted what looked like a restaurant across the street and half-way down the block.  We shrugged and decided to try it.  Haha, later we learned that parrilla means grill, so we entered a packed place with TVs on every wall, and soccer playing!  Jimmy and I were the only Anglos and the menu in Spanish was a mystery, but I knew pollo was chicken and pescado was fish, and that's what we ordered.  The soccer fans in the restaurant?  Rabid!  We had fun and the meal was delicious.

EVERYTHING came out of our suitcases, all the stinky sweaty clothes from the Galapagos and the rainforest.  Sure we rinsed out clothes as we went along, but these needed WASHING.  We made piles and washed it all -- one of our criteria was that the rented apartment had a washer/dryer.  On Wednesday, we finished the laundry, and found a big ol' supermarket called Supermaxi, where we bought enough grub for the week, and within walking distance!  Buses and taxis are easy to find.  Ecuador's monetary system is based on the US dollar, which makes life a lot easier for those of us who have trouble changing currencies in our head!  Hoy -- taxi meters go up in one cent increments!  

Because Quito's 9,000+ ft elevation requires some getting used to, we purposefully didn't schedule a tour for our first full day.  Thursday, however, we figured we'd be acclimated, and we had an exciting tour booked.  Woo-hoo!

So much to see! Monday PM, 4/30/18

Today's post might be a conglomeration of pictures, mixed with the afternoon's canoe explores into different backwater creeks.  Jim Burnett, the unofficial photographer in our group, gave me permission to share some of his photos (where mine didn't turn out), so I'll post those first.

You'll have to look closely.  Above are Night (owl) Monkeys, and they're about the hardest animal to find on a tree, even with binoculars ... because they blend in so well with the woody trunk.  They are tiny!  They have large owl-like eyes -- and thick white eyebrows.  The only nocturnal monkey, they're native to South American rainforests.  If you enlarge the photo, you might see them better.  Use your back arrow to return to this post.  This is one of Jim's pics.

Lots and lots of colorful and unusual fungi in the rainforest.

All these were within a few feet of each other.

Jim captured the above Red Howler Monkey really well.

We saw -- and heard! -- a number of them.

I believe this is another shot of Night (owl) Monkeys, but this zoomed-in-to-the max pic is a strange one, taken by Jim.  It looks like there's a hole in the trunk and a couple of monkeys are perched on the edge.  Maybe.  They look like toys.

We saw several Caiman's floating in the lake, one of them was a huge sucker.  That's why Napo posted this sign:  "NOTICE: For security reasons, swimming into Añangucocha (lagoon) is forbidden."  Smart move!  Thanks for the picture, Jim.

We spied these two Blue and Yellow Macaws atop a headless palm tree.

Nice photo, Jim!

The grounds at Napo were alive with color, and many butterflies, especially the Heliconia butterfly.  Everywhere I turned I saw shrubs and neon-like flowers.  Above is a mere sprinkling.  As I mentioned, I had trouble with my Canon G16, and it had to go into a "dry box" to be rid of both TipTop III (boat in the Galapagos Islands) and rainforest moisture.  Next I turned to the Olympus Stylus (red) camera, but it didn't want to hold a charge, so I pulled out my phone ... and it quickly ran down the battery.  Phooey ... I guess I take too many pictures.  But, I could've taken countless more of the grounds (oh, and be honest, of everything!).

This afternoon, as I was approaching the lodge with my computer to download pictures, one of the young workers hailed me, pointing toward trees next to the lodge.  "Come see," he said, motioning.  I followed him, and wished I'd had some kind of recording device with me to catch the Golden-Mantled Tamarin Monkeys playing tag or catch-me-if-you-can, right smack in front of me.  Even a baby, no bigger than a kitten, leaped from branch to tree limb, swinging.  They appeared to be having fun!  It was fun watching them.

Here you go.  Between our cottage and the lodge was a Leafcutter Ant trail.  Each time Jimmy and I walked to and from, we had to step over this line.  Well, we didn't HAVE to, but no way did we want to disturb their serious business.  We saw other Leafcutter ant trails in the terra firma forest, one of them snaked along for a pretty good distance.  Last night after dinner, we went for a walk in the forest behind the lodge and, sure enough, we saw the night crew hard at work.  Ants are so busy.  That's my shoe in the photo below, for a size scale.

Monday afternoon, Pedro and the paddlers took the group out for a paddle on a narrow creek, for a look-see in a new area.  Jimmy and I like being in the canoe (or any boat, for that matter; I guess that's an extra reason we've enjoyed this entire trip so much).  You never knew what you'd encounter on these excursions.

Like birds, for instance.  Today, clockwise from top left:  Black-capped Donacobiuos, Snail Kite, Red-capped Cardinal, and a Striated Heron.  We watched a Crimson-crested Woodpecker at work way up on a tree, but it was too far away to photo well, and the Lesser Kiskadee was a bit too far away.  If you'd like a closer look, enlarge the pic.  If I posted a picture of every new bird I've seen this trip, it would be a very long post.  I'm in love!

Like witch's hair!

Again, a Giant Otter was in full view, devouring a fish.  Look at those canines ... I think I told you they are like six feet long!  I'm only 5'3" or maybe 5'2" by now.  Speaking of fish, as we started into a different slough across the lake, the canoe paused in mid-paddle and when Jimmy looked down into the water, he thought he was looking at a partly submerged Caiman, but suddenly the creature jerked and splashed and dove down.  The people on the port side of the canoe saw this monster below.  I missed it.  Go ahead, enlarge the picture.  I'll tell you this much:  They're the largest (air-breathing) freshwater fish -- they can reach up to nine feet in length and 440 lbs!

What a beautiful afternoon!

The boat dock is at left.

Time to call it a day ... a great day!

No, Jimmy didn't have to paddle!

Another stellar sunset to round out our third day in the rainforest.  Tomorrow morning we have to leave this fantastic place that we've enjoyed so much, leaving behind many fond memories -- The first time Jimmy turned on the shower, a small frog crawled up the wall to escape and disappeared over the tile; the fine meals we shared at Pedro's table, and the kindness and courtesy of the staff; returning to our room after dinner to find the mosquito netting had been nicely draped around our king-sized bed; and the humongous tarantula "hiding" behind the banister between the first and second floors of the lodge ... which meant I had to take the elevator both up and down to watch the sunset from the tower ....  I gave it the stink eye.

To the Treetops, Monday AM, 4/30/18

There it is again.  Like yesterday's persistent rumble, only closer today, and louder.  But, I found out what the noise is -- Red Howler Monkeys in the treetops, voicing, "Good Morning," although it sounds more like growling thunder.  I can't see them, but I know they're right behind the lodge ... what a disconcerting din they can make.  Today there's more hoopin' and hollerin'. 😊

Our morning started out drippy, so when Jimmy and I got to the dock after breakfast, we opted to get and use Napo's drab rain ponchos.  Who cares about drab if it means we stay dry?  We already had our rubber boots, so we'd be dressed for the occasion!  The canoe took us into a hand-dug canal, as we made our way to Napo's observation tower.  It's only about 35 minutes away from the lodge within the terra firma forest.  We stepped out of the canoe at a rickety landing, grateful for the boots because of mud, and the first thing we spotted was a "baby" tarantula.  I took a photo, but I'm not posting it because then I'd have to look at it.  You're welcome!

This Observation Tower is over 125 ft tall, and it stands right next to a huge and ancient Kapok tree (estimated age 200 years).  The climb to the top left many of us breathless, and I'm going to blame it on the boots -- not the easiest things to maneuver in.  But the climb was worth it:  At the top is a platform where we'd have a 360° view of the forest canopy.  And, it was good to know that the platform was designed and built to provide maximum safety, and it complied with international certifications.  Very good to know.

Looking down at Jimmy from the steps.

We seem to be in a cloud forest.  It wasn't raining, misty -- yes.  Two unoccupied weaver bird nests hang from a nearby branch.  Leaves from another giant Kapok tree can be seen at right, looming high above the other trees.  

Pedro brought his 'scope, so we could view the birds and monkeys and anything else that was perched in the treetops.  After everyone had a look through the scope, he would take my camera (and someone else's, too) and take pictures.  Most of mine are fuzzy, but I'll include a few anyway.  (After we returned to the lodge, my camera went into Pedro's "dry box.")  At the center of this picture, you can barely make out a raptor sitting atop a high branch (or snag).

Jim B. got a fairly clear close-up ... and it's a Bat Falcon.

The platform was incorporated into the so-impressive Kapok tree.  One of the group leaned against a thick limb and was immediately advised NOT to -- tiny fire ants were using the tree as a highway and wouldn't want to be interrupted by a human back!

Intrepid explorers.

This White-throated Toucan lives in the canopy.

Here we are:  L-R -- Malcom & Jenny (with Wilber Wilderbeast on her head), Malin & Arreanna, Kate, me and Jimmy, Kate's husband, John, and Jim B.  Kate and John were traveling with their adult kids, Malin and Arreanna (unsure if that's spelled right).

We saw so many different birds, raptors, monkeys, vultures and even a sloth from our aerie.  Being this high above the rest of the canopy, was quite the experience -- looking out on the immense tropical forest was a "wow" moment.  My camera wasn't functioning well, my eyesight hasn't been tiptop these days, either, and the mist made long-distance viewing a task, but no matter.  Imagine us in the rain forest!

Spotted these Black-headed Parrots far away.

A Three-toed Sloth, slooowly chewing a leaf, high in the canopy.  It's not easy to make it out, but its head is at the top, near the leaf with a bite taken out of it.  We spied it shortly after our arrival on the platform and when we were making ready to leave, we checked and it hadn't moved.  Slooowly ....

What goes up, must go down.  Nice boots.

It wasn't scary.

Back on Terra Firma.

The buttresses around the Kapok tree trunk were tremendous!

Jimmy is all but dwarfed inside.

Amazonia Grasshopper, big ol' Centipede went from Pedro's fingers onto Jimmy's shirt sleeve, tiny poison dart frog on our guide's arm hopped onto his neck!! and finally a nocturnal frog with blue eyes!  I didn't touch any of them.

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This was a surprise to me and Jimmy, and possibly others -- Trees in the rainforest, at the Equator, have no tree rings.  Since there are no "seasons," as in Summer and Winter extremes, the trees grow in a similar way all year -- one season is a constant.  Also at the Equator (where we are), sunrise is at 6am and sunset at 6pm, with little variation.   

I took a slew of fungi pictures, as we walked past a lot on our way back to the canoe, and if I get a chance, I'll post some later.  

After lunch, we'll go on another quest for rainforest gems, the breathing kind.  Looks like the cloudiness has cleared and it should be a fine afternoon.